No quiet retirement for David Obey

The cantankerous former House Appropriations Committee chairman is helping to spearhead the Democratic crusade against Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, the controversial Republican who recently pushed through a contentious anti-labor bill.

Story Continued Below

Obey has taken to the liberal blogosphere and cable TV airwaves, accusing Walker of engaging in “political thuggery.” He is hitting the trail on behalf of state-level Democrats embroiled in recall battles. He’s even being openly discussed as a potential candidate for governor.

It marks a surprisingly quick and high-profile re-emergence for Obey, 72, who just last year departed the House after four decades and who recently joined Gephardt Government Affairs, a K Street lobbying firm.

“While he’s retired, he’s not been on the sidelines by any means,” said Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate. “He’s a leader in the party and someone who’s been a consistent voice.”

Obey is, to some extent, filling a Democratic leadership vacuum after the party’s statewide drubbing in the midterm elections. Without headline-grabbing figures like Jim Doyle, the former governor who did not seek a third term, and Russ Feingold, the former senator who lost reelection, there are few remaining Democrats with the wattage to take on a new class of Wisconsin GOP stars that includes Sen. Ron Johnson, Rep. Sean Duffy and Walker.

“With [Sen. Herb] Kohl retiring and Russ Feingold weighing his options, Dave Obey has not only the interest and the time but also the experience to influence the public mind-set,” said former state Sen. Pat Kreitlow, a Democrat who is running for Obey’s old seat, which is now held by Duffy. “This is a very natural role for him to play, and a lot of us are very glad he’s playing it.”

Obey has offered Kreitlow informal advice on his campaign — with the former congressman recently coaching the candidate on redistricting. Obey is now hammering Wisconsin Republicans over their redistricting efforts, headlining a press conference last week in which he blasted new GOP-drawn maps as an “assault on the rights of Wisconsin citizens.”

“I think it’s fair to say there is a Democratic leadership vacuum,” said Doug Hill, a former top aide to Obey who now works as a Democratic consultant in the state. “The de facto leader is not there.”

But there’s also speculation that Obey is positioning himself for a return to public office — perhaps even taking on Walker in a prospective 2012 recall election.

Tate announced in June that Democrats would launch a recall campaign against Walker next year. The party needs to gather 540,000 signatures in a span of 60 days to initiate a recall election.

“I wouldn’t dismiss Dave Obey running for governor,” said Tate, whose state party has been the recent beneficiary of Obey’s fundraising assistance. “I just wouldn’t dismiss it out of hand.”